The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-12-01

hearers were the Disciples. "Great multi
tndes Of the common people were also hearers.
Isl. Matt. 1872
The object of this parable is to teach that the
final separation Of the good and the evil is not
to take place until the judgment day, or the
end of time.
st. Matthew is the only Bible writer who
gives MS the Parable Of the Tares. IL was ut
tered just after that of the Sower, at the same
place and 10 the same audience.
The word parable comes from two Greek
words which mean 10 thrOW beside. In addition
20 teaching its own facts or lesson il illustrates
some other thing doctrine or principle. 1t
enables learner TO ascend from the plain TO
the obscure, from the understood 10 the quite
mysterious, from the admitted TO thequestioned,
from the visible 10 the unseen, from the ma
terial to the spiritual. Says Afford:
A parable il a serious narrative, written within
the limits Of probability of course of action point
ing TO some moral or spiritual truth, and deriving
its force from real analoges impressed by the Crea-
tor OF all things on his creatures"
The Kingdom Of Heaven is likened." (V.
24) Various definitions are given Of this
phrase; as e O.. !. The way God conducts the
affairs Of the Church and the world. 2. A brief
expression indicating the entire Gospel. 3.
The Reign of the Messiah. a. The success fthe
Gospel dispensation. So we may undoubtedly
understand by "the Kingdom of Heaven" the
world as a theater of Christian activity.
Man" (Y. 2i.) Christ may have pointed
10 a farmer just in the act of sowing. In
religious sense Christ was a Sower. All his
successors in the ministry sow Gospel seed.
Every Christian is more or less a sower.
Good seed" ". 2i) is the Gospel, or the
Word Of God. (St. Luke, 8: H. If we speak
Of this good seed as developed, grown up, we
mean genuine members of Christ's Church.
"Tares." (V. 25.) Some say we are TO under
stand the darnel; others chess; Others bastard
wheat l0lilsm. Bastard wheat is spurious grain.
The tares very much resemble wheat. This is
the case with lolium. The similarity holds
good till near the time Of maturity. The fruit
is not yellow, but black. The tares if eaten are
injurious producing intoxication, dizziness.
Being degenerate grain, the plant is very
symbolic of fallen human nature. IL cannot
mature into good grain. So weak is the natural
man until a development is attained and we
have "a new man which. after God, is created
in righteousness and true holiness" DIR.
Hackett, speaking Of the darnel Of Palestine,
says:
Except that the stalk was not so high Itappeared
otherwise precisely like wheat just as the ears be-
gin 10 show themselves, and the kernels are swell
ing into shape, . collected some specimens
them 10 friends, that they have mistaken them
quite invariably for some species Of grain, such as
wheat or barley"
And DIR. Thompson states;
'It is strong soporihe poison. and must be care
fully winnowed and picked out of the wheat. grain
by grain, before grinding, or the nour Is not
healthy"
The tares stand for the temptations allure
ments, all the indictments 10 evil which Satan
is always exerting against the faithful. BY
tares developed, we mean hypOcrites heretics
all eylly-disposed persons all troublesome
claimants of fellowship with Christ, all not
By enemy" (vs. e5, os, s9,) we mean,
first, Satan, and, secondly, all evil persons who
sow heresies. produce dissensions, cause
troubles among Christians, etc.
BY Servants" (V. 81 we understand
genuine laborers in Christ's work field.
The harvest time (y. 39) points to the end
The reapers at that time will be the angels.
" 39.)
"While men slept" (y. 25) Views: L.
Some suppose the expression TO mean Whiie 10
iOaS dark. 1t was not while the men slept. but
while men slept. Job, 80: 49, 2. Some hold
we are TO understand by "men" the men whose
business il was TO watch the field. Certain ones
reply that IL is absurd 10 suppose body Of men
stationed TO watch grain growing. But the
fact the man who sowed the good seed had an
enemy, might support the hypothesis that
! guards were stationed. However, in his ex-
] PLANTATION, Christ does not blame the men who
! slept. Some nevertheless supply this idea of
censure omitted by Christ, and by said sleeping
men teach we are TO understand negligent
preachers, careless pastors, needless watchers on
the towers of Zion. g. Calovius refers the ex-
preston TO the sleepo of sin prior 10 conversion
while men tsinners) sleep, remain impenitent.
1t is during this time that our evil propensities
(tares) begin 10 grow. lisa more correct view the
| one which teaches that the parable is intended
10 illustrate Christian life after conversion2 We
notice the tares are represented as sown after
the good seed was sown. The doctrine that sin
is congenita is TO be borne in mind in connec-
tion with the opinion of Calovius. 4. John
understands the nap at noon, the siestd, which
oriental farmers were in the habit Of taking.
From this he draws a lesson that Christians
should be very careful, since Satan will take
advantage Of even such short nap, such brief
cessation from watchfulness s. The better
view is that by "men" we are TO understand the
human race. Let the stress be on uhile rather
than on men. The aim is to indicate the time
1t was in darkness when he tthe enemy could
not be seen. The point is to show the STEALTH
ness, treachery, deception of Satan, and the
weakness, thOughtlessnes, ignorance of men in
general.
Suggestions:
i. Is il proper to excommunicate7 What
| was 10 be avoided was such treatment of tares
as would harm the wheat If persons within
the Church are an absolute injury to it, they
must Dc leluOfcu. DuI LnaI uOca not emu IDcll
salvation. If they repent, they should be rein
stated. The famous elder, Alfred Bennett
said, alluding TO members expelled from a re
ligious body:
when a sheep IS excluded from the fold II vii
bleat around until IL is readmitted. but when hos
is put out of the pen will root around and try
| upset It,"
(See lst Cor, s: 3-5; I'd John, 10; st. Matt.
Is: l5-l7.) This parable is a protest to tn,
rigors of DOnatism. We hold with Augustin,
that we are 10 understand by the field the or
ganiZed Church Of Christ as composed of tru,
believers and hypocrites; that tine Church
must bear with false claimants of Christianity
that Church discipline should not be too severe
Erastianism allowed too great laxity in ecclesi
astic government. Novatianism was too SO
we're.
2. Expect hypocrites in the Church. Their,
always will be such. An absolutely pur,
Church does not exist. BE not surprised be
cause you find such. In l7G2 a great religion
work began in London and continued whil
Wesley was there but when he departed
pride and delusion developed. When h.
returned he found this condition Of things
About that time friend, a little out OF London
wrote 10 Wesley thus:
" BE not alarmed that Satan sows tares among tn
wheat of Christ. IL ever has been so, especially o
any remarkable outpouring of His spirit, and eve
will be so. Till he IL chained up a thousand years
Till then he will ape and endeavor TO counterac
the work Of the Lord"
3. Persecution is wrong. 1t is too great yea
The burning 10 death Of BacchOrs, Sir Joh
0ldcastle and Servetus even granting the tire
were wrong, was an outrage
4. Revenge is evil. Afford tells us that som